Sports as a Lifeline: Women Para-Athletes Fight a Double Battle for Freedom and Recognition

Shaheen was intrigued by the idea. “How could a girl in a wheelchair play sports?” she wondered. A little research led her to explore the world of cricket. In 2023, Shaheen became part of India’s first-ever national championship-winning wheelchair cricket team.

Her journey toward dreaming big was filled with many challenges, most of which were gendered. Disabled women athletes, across all sports, face more hurdles than their male counterparts. From cricket to taekwondo, their stories share common struggles. Beyond their disability, their gender influences how the world perceives them—often through a lens of pity and inferiority.

HerZindagi spoke to para-athletes and other stakeholders to understand their lives better.

A Mentality of Pity Plagues Disabled Girls Most

For double Paralympian Aruna Tanwar, her first encounter with taekwondo came in Class 6 when martial arts instructors visited her school. She enjoyed the experience but was discouraged from continuing because the sport involved ‘fighting’. Hailing from Haryana’s Bhiwani district, she had to navigate a conservative rural mindset. “Compared to male athletes, women have to fight through many more battles,” she told HerZindagi.

What frustrates her most is the approach people take when interacting with a female para-athlete, or any disabled girl. “I was always seen as a ‘bechaari’ (helpless) by everyone. They’d rush to help even with small tasks, though I wanted to try them myself. I hated being called a ‘bechaari’. I wanted to prove I could do everything a ‘normal’ person could,” she shared. Aruna was born with a deformation in both hands.

Throughout her journey, people frequently tried to dissuade her and her parents. "They'd say, 'Her hands are already weak; she’ll get hurt more,’ or ‘There’s no future in sports.'"

On May 28, 2018, Aruna won her first silver medal at the 4th Asian Para Taekwondo Championships. The same people who discouraged her then started bringing their daughters to meet her, calling her an inspiration. “People’s opinions change quickly once you find success,” she said.

Aruna became India’s first double Paralympian in taekwondo and, in 2023, the first Indian woman to win a medal in the Asian Para Games. Unfortunately, both her Paralympic outings ended in injuries. In Tokyo 2020, she sustained a hairline fracture, and in Paris 2024, she suffered an ACL tear. “It feels like a Bollywood movie is being scripted around me, with all these struggles," she said, but the 24-year-old remains hopeful for a long and successful career in taekwondo.

Read:Urban Women with Disabilities: Insights Into Living, Dating, Working, and Enjoying Life

Parents of Disabled Girls Prefer Them to Stay Home

Radha Badgujjar, 30, is the team captain of Madhya Pradesh’s wheelchair cricket and skating teams. Living with a locomotor disability, she was fortunate to have supportive parents. However, she says the hardest task is convincing other parents to let their daughters participate. “Parents prefer divyang (disabled) girls to stay indoors. They think they shouldn’t venture out, especially alone. Most of the girls on the team had barely stepped out of their homes before joining,” she recalls. She often had to visit their homes two or three times to convince their parents. Boys with disabilities, on the other hand, are rarely held back, she added.

Eventually, Radha formed a team, and they competed in Bhopal. Many of the girls’ parents and husbands attended, and seeing the girls play and win medals transformed their attitudes.

“I can’t describe the happiness on the girls’ faces after playing in Bhopal. Many had lost hope of ever doing something for themselves, and they never expected any recognition. For the first time, they felt free,” Radha said.

Now, their families support their training and matches. Since meeting in person is difficult, Radha ensures her teammates practice daily, requiring them to send her videos of their training.

Radha hopes to send some of the girls to the Paralympics in the future. For her, creating a name for herself is more important than money, and she dreams of representing India internationally.

Recognition, Funding, and Support Depend on Medals

“In India, if you win a medal, support and funding come easily. But if you don’t, there’s nothing,” Aruna explained.

After her medals, Go Sports supported her, but before that, her father covered all coaching and related expenses. Aruna believes all para-athletes, even aspiring ones, should receive encouragement.

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However, she believes that sports can offer a viable means of income and independence if girls are determined. “Every girl should aim to be independent and earn a living, regardless of other factors,” she added.

Shaheen, the cricketer from Kashmir, believes divyang cricket still has a way to go before it can offer financial independence to women. She is pursuing a career in education alongside cricket.

Support for Divyang Cricket and Other Sports Remains Scarce

“When you witness Divyang cricket in action, it’s truly awe-inspiring,” Ghazal remarked. “You’ll see players in wheelchairs hitting sixes, bowlers with one arm delivering remarkable deliveries, and fielders making stunning dives—all from wheelchairs. While they may face physical challenges, their mental strength is extraordinary.”

Despite their skills, the Divyang cricket team doesn’t receive the same attention or support as the Indian men’s team. “Cricket is cricket, no matter who’s playing. Gender or disability shouldn’t dictate the level of support,” she emphasized.

Aaesha Munawar, assistant coach of judo in Lucknow, has run a judo association with her husband for 12 years, training blind judo athletes for world championships. She laments the lack of government support, noting that while progress is being made, para-athletes are still treated differently from Olympians.

India achieved a landmark at the 2024 Paralympics, securing 29 medals—the highest ever. However, the government only provides support after an athlete wins a medal at the Asian Games.

Aaesha explained that many judo athletes come from underprivileged backgrounds and often struggle when competing internationally. Unfamiliar cuisines and unknown languages also create barriers. “For blind athletes, it's difficult to make them play internationally after only having played two domestic matches. They’re very intimidated. We need more exposure. If we can take them for training or camps, it’ll help them become familiarised with new places,” she said.

Despite the hope and independence sports can bring to disabled women, many of their dreams remain unfulfilled due to a lack of funding and support.